Pencil-retaining device



No. 6l2,3|8. Patented Oct. ll, I898.

J. V. D UNPHY. PENCIL RETAINING DEVICE.

#Application fild Apr. 8, 1898.;

(No Model.)

WITNESSES INVENTOR THE NORRIS FEYERS co. PHOYO-LITNQ, WASHINGTON. u. c:

UNITED STATES P TENT OFFIcE.

JAMES V. DUNPHY, OF DULUTH, MINNESOTA. V

PENCIL-RETAINING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters IPatent No. 612,318 dated. October11, 1898.

Application filed April 8, 1898. Serial No. 676,927. (No model.)

To all whmn it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES V. DUNPHY,a citizen of the United States,residing at Duluth, in the county of St. Louis and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pencil-RetainingDevices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in pencil-retaining devices; andits object is to provide a removable device adapted to be placed uponpencils, and which shall be so constructed as to operate by friction inconnection with the lining of a pocket to prevent the pencil fromslipping therefrom, and which will be capable of being manipulated toform frictional ribs of various sizes.

It consists in providing a cylindrical body portion made of elasticmaterial and forming circumferential ribs upon the same and integraltherewith.

It also consists in certain other novel constructions, combinations, andarrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter more fully described andclaimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents aperspective view ofmy improved pencil-retainer. Fig. 2 represents a perspective view of thesame applied to a pencil. Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal sectionthrough the said retainer, a portion of a pencil being shown therein inside elevation. resents a detail view showing the retainer in one of itsrolled forms, the said retainer being partially rolled upon itself. Fig.5 represents a detail view showing the retainer entirely rolledtogether, and Fig. 6 is a detail View representing another manner inwhich the said retainer may be rolled upon the pencil.

A in the drawings represents my improved pencil-retainer. The saidpencil-retainer'A is preferably made with a cylindrical elastic bodyportion, as a, adapted to be placed upon a pencil of ordinaryconstruction. The said body portion a is'preferably formed with a seriesof annular projecting ribs, as a a.

As shown in Fig. 20f the drawings, the retainer A is adapted to beslipped upon a pen- Fig. 4 repoil, as B, or other similar article, andwhen so placed upon a pencil it forms a frictional surface thereon whichis adapted to engage the interior of a pocket into which the pencil maybe placed and prevent the accidental slipping of the pencil from thesaid pocket.

It will be apparent that the retainer may not only be placed at the endof the pencil, as illustrated in the drawings, but it may be slipped toany point upon the pencil, it only being necessary to place it where itwill engage the interior of the pocket when the pencil is placedtherein.

By constructing the retainer A of elastic material-as soft rubber, forinstance-it can be used not only in its normal position, as illustratedin Figs. 1, 2, and 3 of the drawings, but it is capable of being rolledupon itself when on the pencil to form larger or smaller projecting ribsupon the pencil to offer a still greater retaining means for hold ingthe pencil in the pocket. As shown in Fig. 4:, for instance, theretainer A may be rolled back upon itself about half its length, theenlargement formed by this roll providing an additional security againstthe pencil slipping from the pocket, or, as shown in Fig. 5 of thedrawings, it may be rolled up entirely,so as to form a very prominentfrictional rib upon the pencil. As shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings, itmay be rolled inside out and partially rolled upon itself to form aretainingsurface of a little different character.

It will thus be apparent that the flexible elastic retainer can berolled to any desired shape, so as to present a more prominent or a lessprominent frictional surface upon a pencil to suit the pocket into whichthe pencil is to be retained.

If the pocket is comparatively tight, as in new clothing, the retainerin its ordinary and normal shape would be sufficient to secure thepencil against accidental displacement from the said pocket, but in thecase of a greatly stretched or worn pocket it might be found desirableto roll the retainer into a larger and more prominent rib upon thepencil.

It will be further apparent that a flexible pencil-retainer of thischaracter could be formed with other projecting configurations upon itsouter periphery to form frictional surfaces in the place of thecircumferential ribs,

IOO

as above described, without departing from the spirit of my invention.However, the form shown in the drawings is found to be a desirable one,as it is easily rolled into diferent shapes and retains its positionwhen thus rolled. It will also be apparent that the retainer may be madeof different lengths and that it may have a greater or less number ofthe circumferential ribs than those shown in the drawings.

It will be observed that when the retainer is rolled up or partiallyrolled up the ribs per form a veryimportant f unctionnamely, that theyprevent the rolled-up portion from unrolling and also form an enlargedrib. When it is desired to partiallyroll up the retainer into theposition shown in Fig. 4; of the drawings, the rolled-up portion willsort of snap by the middle rib, and when the fingers are released it hasa tendency to unroll, but is prevented from doing so by engaging thesaid middle rib, and when it is desired to return the retainer to itsnormal extended position, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, therolled-up portion has to be drawn back and over the middle rib. When itis desired to form a frictional rib of a size greater than that which isproduced when the rolled-up portion is enback by the fingers. From thisit will be apparent that the provision of a plurality of ribs not onlyaffords an additional number of frictional projections when the retaineris in its normal extended position, but serves the important purpose ofallowing diiferent-sized ribs to be secured and prevents the rolled-upportion of the retainer from accidentally unrolling when engaged by anyone of these ribs.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

As an improved article of manufacture, a pencil-retainer adapted to beapplied to apenoil at any point in its length for holding the same inapocket, and comprising in its construction an elastic, hollow,cylindrical body portion,which is open at both ends and formed with aseries of integral elastic ribs, the said ribs, when the retainer is inits normally-extended condition, presenting frictional edges or cornersto a pocket and which ribs, when the retainer is rolled upon itself,presenting an enlarged frictional projection, the rolled-up portionbeing engaged by a rib and prevented from accidentally unrolling,substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature 1n presence or twowitnesses.

JAMES V. DUN PHY. Witnesses:

JAMES T. WATSON, WVILLIAM O. PEALER.

